Lock



Aug. 11, 1925.

C. LEWIS LOCK Filed Oct. 2, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug.'ll, 1925..

1,549,581 R. c. LEWIS LOCK Filed Oct. 2, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedAug... ll, 19,25a

BOLLIN C. LEVIIS, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTIGUT. ASSIGNOTR- T THE YALE &TOWN'E MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF SSTAMFOED, CONNECTICUT.

LOCK.

Application filed October 2, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROLLIN G. Lewis, a citizen of the United States anda resident of Stamford, in the county of Fair'lield and State oiConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in looks;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription oi the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in locks and more particularly tosuch as are employed for safe deposit boxes and require the use of aguard or preparatory key before the her renters key can be used towithdraw the bolt.

One object of my present invention is to provide, in a lock of the typespecified, simple and eriicient means for separating the tumblers in amanner to facilitate the chant? 1;); of the combination of the same.

' A further object is to so construct the lock that one of a stack ofkey actuated ruinblors shall constitute a guard tumbler operable withthe use of a guard key in serted into the same plug which receives thechange or box renters key for operating the other tumblers, and toprovide means whereby the guard tumbler shall be retained in unlockedpostion until released by the retraction of the bolt.

A further object is to provide simple and efiicient means whereby thebolt shall be dogged in unlocked position while the combination oftumblers is being changed.

A further object is to provide means which shall operate to preventwithdrawal of either the guard or the change key after the key plug isin the position which it assumes when the bolt has been withdrawn andbefore the plug shall have been returned by the key to the normalposition which it assumes when the bolt is in projected position.

A further object is to provide simple and eiiieient means for removablysecuring the cover plate 01 the lock casing in place.

With these and'other objects in View, the invention consists in certainnovel features Serial No. 591,845.

of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure l is rear view of a lock embodyingmy improvoinents, showing the bolt projected. Figure is a similar viewwith the cover plate and adjusting plate removed and the revoluble guardtumbler in position to receive the fence on the bolt; Figure 3 is aninner face view of the cover plate, showing also the adjusting plate;Figure 4 is view (partly in section) showing the bolt, its key operatedactuating means, and the eccentric post on which the lever or swingingtumblers are mounted; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the adjustingplate; Figure 6 is a view of the guard key; Figure '4' is a view of thechange or boxrenters key; Figure 8 is a view of the spanner key; Figure9 is a sectional View on the line 9-9 of Figure 1; Figure 10 is a view(partly in section) with the cover plate and tumblers removed andshowing the mounting for the eccentric post; Figure 11 is an outsideface view of the cover plate and showing the lock cylinder thereon;Figure 12 is a transverse sectional view on the line 12-12 .01 Figure 4with the tumblers removed and showing the eccentric post in elevation;Figure 13 is a trans verse sectional view with the tumblers re moved andshowing the key plug in elevation; and Figure 14L is a detail sectionalview showing portions of the cover and adjusting plates.

I have illustrated and will described my improvements as embodied in alock for safe deposit boxes, but it will be understood that a lockembodying my improvements may be employed for other purposes.

The casing of the lock is represented at l and the cover plate 2 of thecasing is disposed within the latter as shown in Figures 9, 12 and 13.Button-head flanged rivets 3 are mounted loosely in the cover plate nearthe side edges of the latter and the flanges of the heads of said rivetsare made with flattened portions 4 which may be caused to align with theside edge of the cover to permit the insertion of the latter into theeasing, after which said rivets will be turned so as to cause theflanges to enter recesses 5 in the inner faces of the casing sides, andthus securely, but removably, lock said cover in place. The heads of therivets are of such height as to be flush with the edges of the casing sothat when the lock is secured to the door by attaching screws 6, thecover cannot shift enough to disarrange the mechanism of the look evenif the rivets should be jarred or otherwise turned to the freepositions.

The cover plate has secured thereto, :1 cyl- V inder 7 which receivesthe head 8 of a plug or spindle 9 having a single key slot, the free endof said cylinder being made with an inwardly projecting flange 9 havingtwo key notches 10 and 11 located forty-five degrees apart as shown inFigures 1., 3 and 11. The inner end of the key spindle is contracted insize and enters a bearing ring 12 secured to the casing 1 and near saidcontracted portion of the spindle, the latter is provided with aslottedflange 13 which may bear freely against the bearing sleeve 12. A tooth 11 projects from the flange 13 for operating the cam arm 15 by means ofwhich the bolt 16 may be retracted or pro jected. The hub portion of thecam arm 15 is provided with a tooth 17, and with this tooth, the tooth14 carried by the spindle flange is cooperable to effect the projectingof the bolt. Throughout approximately onefourth of the rotation of thekey spindle, it is movable independently of the cam arm 15 and the tooth14; will move (from the normal position of the key spindle) throughapproximately one-fourth of a circle and then engage the cam arm, thecontinued turning of the key spindle causing cooperation of the tooth 11 with said cam arm to effect the retracting of the bolt. When the keyspindle is in normal position, the bolt will be locked in projectedposition by engagement of the cam arm 15 with the bolt axially of thelatter and the key spindle and cam arm will be prevented from movementbackwardly beyond their normal positions by engage ment of the flange 13on the spindle and the tooth 17 on the cam arm with a ring 18 fixed inan end portion of the casing.

The ring 18 constitutes a mounting for a post 19, the base portion 20 ofwhich is loosely mounted in the ring 18 so as to be capable of beingturned therein, and said base portion is made with a plurality ofcircumferential grooves 21 and with diametrically opposite longitudinalgrooves 22. The ring 18 is made with diametrically opposite sockets forthe accommodation of dogs 23 which normally enter the grooves 22 in thepost base 20 and springs 2 1 retain said dogs normally out of line withthe grooves 21, and thus normally hold the post against turning. A disk25 secured on the mounting ring 18 serves as an abutment for the springs24 and prevents displacement of the latter and the dogs. The dogs aredisposed respectively in different planes and a spanner key 26 used tomove them is made with fingers 27, 28 differing in length. One end ofthe post 19 enters a suitable opening in the casing 1 and when thespanner key is properly inserted into the longitudinal grooves of thepost base 20 its fingers will move the dogs 23 to cause them to alignwith circumferential grooves 21. of the post base and then, by turningthe spanner key, the post 19 may be turned for a purpose hereinafterexplained. The post 19 is made with an eccentric intermediate portion29, and at one end with an eccentric pin 30, and when the cover plate 2is in place, the end portion of said post is mounted in a hole 31 insaid plate. Another post, 32, is located in the forward portion of thecasing and fixed to the same, the bolt 16 being provided with a slot 16for the accommodation of said post. On this post, a plurality or stackof approximately circular tumblers 33 are re volubly mounted andprovided with gatings 31 for the reception of a fence 35 on the bolt 16to permit retracting of the bolt. These tumblers are made with segmentalracks 35 to mesh with racks 36 of lever or swinging tumblers 37, thelatter being mounted on the post 19 and pressed in one direction bysprings 38 and operable in the other direction by means of a suitablekey. One of the revoluble tumblers of the stack (the tumbler 39) isutilized as a guard tumbler and the lever tumbler 10) which transmitsmotion to the guard tumbler 39, is mounted loosely on the concentricportion of the post 19. The lever tumblers 37 of the stack of suchtumblers are mounted loosely on the eccentric portion 29 of the post 19so that when said post is turned in the manner previously explained fromits normal position, the lever tumblers 37 will be moved out of meshwith the revoluble tumblers, for the purpose of facilitating thechanging of the combination of said tumblers 37 with respect to aparticular key, as more fully hereinafter explained.

Located upon the outside of the cover plate 2 of the lock, is anadjusting plate 41 of thin spring metal, one end portion of which ismade with a transverse elongated slot 1-2 into which the eccentric pin30 on the eccentric post 19 projects. An intermediate portion of theplate 11 is made with an opening 43 through which the cylinder 7 passes,and a portion of said opening is made straight so as to provide a part414; on said plate which enters the cylinder 7 through a slot 45therein, so as to become disposed in line with the key notch 11 in thecylinder flange and prevent withdrawal of a key from the key spindle andthrough said notch 11, during of the lock.

The forward end portion of the adjusting plate ll is made to provide aspring tongue 46 bent at its free end portion to form a dog 47 whichprojects through an opening 1-8 in the cover plate 2 and, under certainconditions, enters the gating of the guard tum-- bler 39. The forwardend of the plate ll is bent inwardly and rearwardly to provide a lug ordog d9 adapted, under certain conditions, to become disposed in linewith the fence when the bolt 16 is in retracted po sition and preventprojecting of the bolt. In order to overcome such dogging of the bolt inretracted position when the adjusting plate is moved toward its normalposition (after the combination of the tumblers shall have been changed)the forward end portion of said plate is provided, at respective sidesof the dog 49, with projections 50 to cooperate with beveled faces 51 onthe cover plate, and thus the dog 4:9 will be moved out of line with thefence when the adjusting plate is moved backwardly.

hen a guard key, such as shown at 52, for example, is inserted into thekey spindle and turned, the guard tumblers 39-40 will be set to bringthe gating of the guard tumbler in line with the fence 011 the bolt, andthese tumblers will be held in such unlocking position by the springingof the dog 17 on the tongue 1-6 of the plate 41, into the gating of theguard tumbler 39. The guard key will then be turned back to normalposition and withdrawn and a change or boX-renters key 53 will beinserted into the same key spindle or plug and turned to set thetumblers 33-37 and withdraw the bolt. As the bolt moves backwardly inthe casing, the fence 35 on said bolt will operate to raise the dog a7out of the gating of the guard tumbler 39, thus permitting said tumblerand its actuating lever tumbler to move to locked or normal positionswhen the bolt is subsequently projected.

In the normal operation of the lock, the key spindle must be returned tonormal position to permit withdrawal of the key, removal of the key fromthe spindle at the quarter-turn position of the same being prevented bythe portion ll of plate 1-3 projecting in line with the key notch 11,but the key is made with a notch to enable said key to pass the portion4-1 of said plate.

The operation of changing the key setting is as follows:

lVith the bolt fully retracted and the change key and spindle in theunlocking position, the revoluble tumblers are in engagement with thefence 35 and thus held in. such position. The operator will now turn theeccentric post 19 with the use of the spanner key 26 and thus disconnectthe the normal operation lever tumblers 37 from the revoluble tunr blers39. The turning of the post 19 will also cause the eccentric pin 30 tomore in the elongated slot 12 of the adjusting plate and effect forwardlongitudinal movement of the latter, thereby causing the portion 4A- ofsaid plate to move out of the path of the key notch 11, and the dog #19will be disposed in line with the fence 35 on the withdrawn bolt andprevent forward movement of the bolt and releasing of the revolubletumblers during the operations of changing the ke -setting of the levertumblers. The change key and key spindle may now be turned backone-fourth of a rotation and the key withdrawn at the notched portion11. The operations above described are made possible by reason of thefact that instead of making the bolt operating cam arm rigid with thespindle, it is made separate from said spindle and mounted to turnfreely and is so arranged that the key spindle may make a quarterrotation before it picks up and moves said cam arm to project the bolt.After the change key shall have been withdrawn at the key notch 11, anew change key may be inserted into the spindle and turned to engage.the lever tumblers 37 which latter will adapt themselves to the form ofthe new key and thus the combination of the tumblers will have beenchanged to be afterwards operable by the said new change key. While thenew change key remains in-the key spindle. in the unlocking position(the revoluble tumblers having, in the meantime been prevented fromturning by the fence 35), the eccentric post 19 will be turned back toits normal position (with the use of the spanner key), thus bringing theracks of the lever tumblers 3'? into mesh with the racks of therevoluble tumblers 33 and at the same time the adjusting plate 11 willbe moved back, causing its portion 4% to block the key notch 11 and thedog 49 to be moved out of line with the fence on the bolt. Backwardturning of the new change key to normal position at the notch 10, willcause the bolt to be projected.

Various changes might be made in the details of construction of myinvention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting itsscope and hence I do not wish to restrict myself to the precise detailsherein set forth.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a lock of the character described, the combination with a casing,a bolt, a set of revoluble tumblers having gatings, and a fence on thebolt co-operable with said tumblers and their gatings, of an eccentricpost, a set of spring-pressed lever tumblers mounted on said eccentricpost and normally in operative relation to the revoluble tum blers, anda key directly co-operable with said post whereby the same may be turnedto facilitate changing of the combination of said lever tumblers.

2. In a lock of the character described, the combination with a casing,a bolt and two sets of tumblers, tumblers of one set operativelyconnected with tumblers of the other set, of an eccentric for movingtumblers of one set out of operative relation to the tumblers of theother set, means for preventing the turning of one set of tumblers whiletumblers of the other set are out of operative relation thereto, andmeans for dogging the bolt in unlocking position while tumblers of therespective sets are out of operative relation relatively to each other.

3. In a lock of the character described, the combination with a casing,a bolt, a set of revoluble tumblers having gatings and a fence on thebolt cooper-able with said tumblers and their gatings, of an eccentricpost, a set ofv spring-pressed lever tumblers mounted on said eccentricpost and normally in operative relation to the revoluble tumblers, meanswhereby said post may be turned to facilitate changing of thecombination of said lever tumblers, and a dog cooperable with the fenceon the bolt to prevent projecting of the latter when tumblers of one setare out of operative relation to tumblers of the other set.

l. In a lock of the character described, .the combination with a casing,a bolt having a fence, a set of revoluble tumblers having gatings forsaid fence, and a set of spring-pressed lever tumblers in normalcooperative relation to the revoluble tumblers, of means for moving thelever tumblers out of and into cooperative relation to the revolubletumblers while the fence of the bolt is in the gatings of the latter,means cooper-able with the fence for dogging the bolt in unlockingposition while the sets of tumblers are out of cooperative relation toeach other, and means for releasing the dogging of the bolt when thelever tumblers are moved into cooperative relation to the revolubletumblers whereby the bolt may be projected.

5. In a lock of the character described, the combination of a casing, abolt having a fence, a set of revoluble tumblers having gatings toreceive said fence when the bolt is retracted, one tumbler of said setconstituting a guard tumbler, a single key spindle having a single keyslot, key operated lever tumblers eooperable with the revolubletumblers, one of said lever tumblers cooperable with said guard tumbler,and means for moving the other lever tumblers out of and intocooperative relation to the other revoluble tumblers.

6. In a lock of the character described, the combination of a casing, abolt having a fence, a set of revoluble tumblers having gatings toreceive said fence when the bolt is retracted, one tumbler of said setconstituting a guard tumbler, a single key spindle having a single keyslot, key operated lever tumblers cooperable with the revolubletumblers, one of said lever tumblers cooperable with said guard tumbler,means for moving the other lever tumblers out of and into cooperativerelation to the other revoluble tumblers, and means cooper-able with thegating of the guard tumbler to retain the latter in unlocking positionafter it has been set in such position by operation of a guard key.

'1'. In a lock of the character described, the combination with acasing, a bolt having a fence, and a plurality of revoluble tumblershaving gatings for said fence, of a plurality of spring-pressed levertumblers operatively associated with the revoluble tumblers, a bearingmember in the casing, a post having a base mounted in said bearingmember and having peripheral and longitudinal grooves, spring-presseddogs mounted in said bearing member and normally engaging in thelongitudinal grooves in the base of the post, and means for releasingthe dogs from the locking engagement with the post and for turning saidpost, said post having an eccentric portion on which the lever tumblersare mounted.

8. In a lock of the character described, the combination with a casing,a bolt, two sets of tumblers operatively associated with each other, andmeans for moving one set of tumblers out of and into cooperativerelation with the other, of a cylinder having two key notches, a slottedkey spindle, lostmotion means operable by the key plug for retractingand for projecting the bolt, and means normally blocking one of said keynotches of the cylinder to normally prevent a key from being withdrawnexcept when the key spindle is returned to normal position.

9. In a lock of the character described, the combination of a casing, acover plate therefor, a bolt having a fence, a plurality of revolubletumblers having gatings for said fence, a plurality of spring-pressedkey-operated lever tumblers operatively associated normally with saidrevoluble tum blers, an eccentric post on which said lever tumblers aremounted, an eccentric pin on said post, a cylinder having two keynotches, a slotted key spindle, means operable by said spindle forretracting and for projecting the bolt, and an adjusting plate having aslot to receive the eccentric pin on the eccentric post, said platehaving an opening forming a part to enter the cylinder and block one ofsaid key notches, said plate having a spring tongue provided with a dogto pass through an opening in the casing cover plate and engage in thegating of one the adjusting plate to move the dogging of the revolubletumblers and to be removed part out of the path of the fence on the fromsuch position by the fence on the bolt bolt When the adjusting plate ismoved rearwhen the latter is retracted, said adjusting wardly by theturning of the eccentric post. Plate having a part to dog the bolt byQ0- testimony whereof, I hLV6 signed this operation with the fencethereon, and the speclfic'atloncover plate having beveled portions forco operation with the forward end portion of tOLLIN C. .LEVVIS.

